Saudi Arabia’s industrial sector comprised 10,138 factories as of the end of July RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s industrial sector comprised 10,138 factories as of the end of July, 40 percent of which were in the capital Riyadh, the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources said. The Kingdom’s industrial economy covers 16 strategic sectors and is distributed over 13 administrative regions throughout the country, according to the report from the ministry’s National Center for Industrial and Mining Information. Riyadh is home to the largest number of factors, at 4,079. The Eastern Province recorded 2,206 factories, Makkah has 1,911, and Al-Qassim region 428, followed by Al Madinah with 416 factories, the report showed. The strategic sectors in the Kingdom include metals, food and plastic products, machinery and equipment, the specialized chemical industry, basic and medium chemicals, automobile factories, refined oil products, pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, renewable energy, marine and aviation, military, and building materials. Building materials dominate the Kingdom industrial sector with 2,016 factories, followed by 1,705 working in the production of metals, 1,445 food factories, 1,317 for plastic and rubber products and 571 machinery and equipment factories. There were 571 specialized chemical factories in the Kingdom, 399 for basic and medium chemical factories, 169 manufacturing automobiles and parts and 122 oil refining products factories. Rounding out the list are p75 pharmaceutical factories, 49 for medical supplies, and nine in the area of renewable energy. Saudi Arabia issued 307 new factory licenses during the first three months of this year representing a total investment of SR17.72 billion ($4.73 billion), the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources revealed last May. “Development of this sector is one of the pillars of Saudi Vision 2030 to create a competitive economy and sustainable development,” Dr. Osama Ghanem Al-Obaidy, economic adviser and international economic law expert, told Arab News. “Saudi Arabia aims at developing promising industries in food, medicine, and medical supplies, as well as military industries, and industries relating to oil, gas, and petrochemicals, mining, and chemicals,” he said.